Break Your Brain out of its Comfort Zone – Guest Post

Everyone is constantly looking for a high quality of life but it seems harder and harder to come by. For many of us, true happiness continues to elude us because we feel that we are in a constant race with the rest of the world. We seem to equate happiness with our ”performance at life” – in other words, if the Race of Life ended today, what place would we take? In order to stay at the front of the pack while simultaneously striving for internal success, we have to focus on our mental fitness. Here are 3 tips that will aid you as you push your brain to its fullest potential.

Get out of your comfort zone

The brain is like any other muscle in our body: to make it stronger, it must reach just beyond the boundaries of what it is capable. Each time the brain reaches further and further, it creates more neural connections. But how do we “stretch our brains”? There is no way other than attempting mental tasks that are difficult, even if we fail. This is a daunting concept for many, but those who break out of their comfort zones and push their limits will reap the rewards of an increase in mental clarity, focus, and retention.

Learn a new language

Probably the most comprehensive and effective way to improve brain power is by learning a new language. Many different parts of the brain are activated while learning a new language. You rely on memory to recall vocabulary and mental flexibility when combining the first few words into a coherent concept. The concepts will get more diverse as the structures and vocabulary at your disposal increase. Your brain uses reasoning skills when you discover how to relate concepts and structures in the new language to those of your first language, and sensory sensibility as you hear new sound combinations and attempt to replicate them. Learning a new language also increases the number of people with whom you can communicate, making you more social (incidentally a big element that contributes to brain performance).

Take a break

We find that exercising on a constant basis provides increased physical performance until at some point a plateau is reached. Taking a break and returning to your routine a week or so later yields more advancement. The same holds true professionally - when you become so absorbed by routine that your job performance suffers, it’s time to take a break - a vacation even (maybe a chance to visit the country whose language you are learning). When building your mental performance, remember to treat your brain the same way you treat the rest of your body. Give it a rest when a rest is called for.

Although increasing your mental abilities may seem impossible, you really can “grow” your brain (or at least make more synapses)! The process isn’t simple, and it requires dedication, but if you really want to increase your performance in life, start by focusing on the most complex and important organ in your body.

Dolph Larsson is a writer who focuses all of his efforts on exploring ways to increase the power of the brain. You can read more of his articles such as “Power Your Brain Today” and “How to Increase Mind Power” at his website How to Improve Brain Power, where he discusses brain boosting lifestyle changes and techniques.